Africa’s First: Ghana’s Legaltech Hackathon Tackles Access to Justice Challenges

Source: TechLabari

In April 2025, Accra’s Google Office became the epicenter of legal innovation as Legaltech Lounge and Because She Can concluded their inaugural Africa Legaltech Hackathon. This event, born from the ambition to connect technology and law across the continent, successfully launched a platform for practical solutions and showcased the emerging talent of African legal technology developers.

The hackathon, which received 50 initial applications, selected 8 teams from 10 universities to participate in an intense 48-hour development challenge. These teams focused on creating solutions to address critical legal and civic issues related to access to justice in Africa.

Key Innovations and Winning Teams:

• Team Advis emerged as the top winner with their AI-powered legal assistant, designed to aid self-represented individuals within Ghana’s legal system. The platform provides structured support, including simplified legal information, document review, and connections to legal professionals. Notably, it offers multilingual access in Twi, Ga, and Ewe, enhancing inclusivity. Integrations with Kwame AI and the Legal Aid Commission highlight its potential to expand access to justice. As a reward, they received an internship with Vint & Alethia Attorneys & Consultants.

• Team Legalis, the first runner-up, developed an AI-driven platform for legal research and document management, specifically tailored for African legal systems. This tool aims to improve lawyer efficiency by automating case analysis and streamlining access to legal precedents using conversational AI. The platform’s secure cloud collaboration and data trained on African judicial systems promise to improve legal efficiency. They will present their innovation at the Accra Lawtech Hangout 2025.

• Team Lawgorithm, the second runner-up, introduced AI Legal Assist, a platform that uses Google Cloud’s AI to provide accessible and affordable legal assistance. It offers personalized guidance, answers legal questions, and summarizes legal documents, aiming to simplify legal processes for individuals and small businesses.

Special Recognition:

• Marcia Achiaa Antwi from Team LegalX received the Best Female Participant award from Vint & Alethia Attorneys & Consultants, recognizing her leadership and contributions.
• Team PrimeOps was awarded Most Promising Solution for their AI-powered Online Dispute Resolution platform, which addresses court backlogs by combining AI and human oversight.
• Both Team Advis and Team Legalis will be featured at the Accra Lawtech Hangout – a key networking opportunity for over 600 legal professionals, technologists, and investors engaged in driving legal innovation across the continent.

More Than Just Tech: Creating Solutions for People:

This event distinguished itself by prioritizing purpose over mere technical skill. The teams focused on developing tools that directly addressed the needs of individuals, demonstrating a deep awareness of Africa’s complex legal and economic realities. The hackathon also benefited from the guidance of experienced mentors and judges, including Jessie A. Abugre – co-founder of Zuputo and Poka, Frederick Abu-Bonsrah – Legal Counsel for Kwame AI and Co-founder of Lex Evolve, Angela Kyerematen-Jimoh, – former IBM executive and CEO of BrainWave AfricaTech, Joel Kojo Abaka Anaman – Senior Product Manager at Axmed and Founder of Mande, Paul Boamah – Senior Software Engineer at Stanbic Bank Ghana, and Isaac Kojo Yedonu Aboah – Founder and host of Change Africa Podcast. Their combined expertise enriched the learning experience, shaped strategic thinking, and deepened the innovative outcomes of the weekend.

Building a Foundation for Future Innovation:

The hackathon emphasized the importance of developing solutions that address the specific needs of the African legal landscape. The event also benefited from the expertise of mentors and judges from various tech and legal fields.

This event is the beginning of a larger initiative, with plans for incubation and acceleration programs to scale the developed solutions. Discussions with potential investors and institutions are already underway.

Michel Nkansah and Kweyakie Blebo, the founders of Legaltech Lounge and Because She Can, respectively, expressed their commitment to building a sustainable ecosystem for legal technology in Africa, emphasizing inclusion and innovation.

The success of the hackathon highlights the potential of African talent and calls for continued collaboration to advance legal technology across the continent.